On June 1, 2023, Xbox held its Games Showcase event, revealing a plethora of games coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and PC. Among the many announcements were long-awaited titles like Playground Games’ Fable, Obsidian’s Avowed, and a release date for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. In this article, we will explore each announcement in detail and give readers an idea of what to expect from Xbox in the near future.
The event began with a stunning trailer for Playground Games’ reboot of Fable, one of the most highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S. The trailer featured the IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade as the narrator, maintaining the series’ trademark humor. While we don’t have a specific release date yet, Xbox did confirm that the game will be available on Game Pass on launch day.
Another major announcement was the release date for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The big story expansion will launch on September 26, with a trailer showing the return of Keanu Reeves and the introduction of Idris Elba. The missions will take players to an entirely new area of Night City, adding even more depth to the already massive game.
Obsidian’s long-awaited fantasy RPG Avowed also received a new trailer, finally giving fans a release date to look forward to. The game will be available on Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2024. The trailer showcased caves, spiders, bears, spellcasting, sword combat, and a host of other fantasy elements, building the excitement for the game’s full release.
Xbox head Phil Spencer also revealed the upcoming launch of a 1TB version of the Xbox Series S. Responding to consumer complaints that the 512GB model didn’t have enough storage, the new model will launch on September 1 in black and retail for $349, which is $50 more than the current model.
Fans of racing games will be pleased to hear that Forza Motorsport is coming this October as well. The game is a follow-up to 2017’s Forza Motorsport 7 and will surely showcase the power of the Xbox Series X|S.
In terms of surprises, we got a look at Compulsion Games’ new project, South of Midnight, which will launch on Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S and via Steam on PC. The teaser trailer showed a mysterious character playing guitar on the river while the main character, Hazel, is looking for a monster with teeth like knives.
Ubisoft’s Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, also made an appearance, showcasing a lot of familiar Star Wars iconography, from cantinas to Stormtroopers. The game will be an open-world title, launching in 2024 on Xbox Series X|S.
We also got a look at Clockwork Revolution from inXile, indicating that the game will be a first-person shooter with a steampunk theme. The game will launch on Game Pass on launch day.
Persona fans had a lot to be excited about as well. Metaphor Re Fantazio, a new RPG from the creators of Persona 3, 4, and 5, is coming sometime in 2024. Persona 3 Reload was officially announced, bringing Persona 3 in line with Persona 5 from a gameplay and visual standpoint. Persona 5 Tactica, a Fire Emblem-style tactics game set in the world of Persona 5, is coming in November and will be available on Game Pass.
Other announcements included a monkey island crossover for Sea of Thieves on July 20, a new action game from Capcom called Path of the Goddess, co-op adventure Towerborne from the creators of the Banner Saga trilogy, and a new IP called Still Wakes the Deep, an exploration game set on an abandoned oil rig.
The showcase also featured a brand new trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, revealing that the game will launch sometime next year on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Finally, we got a new look at Flight Simulator 2024, which includes a ton of updates and improvements, along with a Dune crossover coming to the current version on November 3.
In conclusion, Xbox’s Games Showcase event was an exciting showcase of upcoming releases for Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, and PC. From anticipated titles like Fable and Avowed to surprising releases like South of Midnight and Clockwork Revolution, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming year and beyond.
